An Ode to Fathers: Four Fictional Characters Like My Dad

Hello, and happy late Father's Day!

via GIPHY

Is this going to be a new tradition at Movies Meet Their Match where my Father's Day post is hopelessly late? I hope not. I could always save it for another year, but I'm not patient enough for that. I mean, we set aside a day for our parents, but we celebrate them every day in our own way, right? That sounds like what my mom would tell my sisters and I when we asked when "Kid's Day" was. She said, "Every day is Kid's Day!"

I've spoken about my relationship with my dad before (he's my boss, I'm his sidekick), but today I wanted to do a special post about my appreciation for him. Which, of course, is going to be through stories, because I'm Chloe the MovieCritic.

My dad has always called himself two specific fictional characters (you'll see who they are, just wait for it), but lately I've found two more he is similar to, so I'm going to discuss how. Maybe I just see the similarities because all of these characters are fathers (or at least, if not biological, they have raised a child), and while that is a factor, I think characteristics speak to more than that.

There will be NO spoilers for these characters, so feel free to read without worries! These characters are listed in the order that I met them. Starting with...

Jean Valjean (from Les Miserables)

I haven't seen this version, but my dad said the Fredric March version is his favorite.

My dad has always called himself Jean Valjean, but doesn't give an explanation. I get that, a lot of times I relate hardcore to characters but am not sure how until I fully analyze them. A few days ago I asked my dad to elaborate. He said he is always being chased by Javert (society) in the changing times. He feels that the world is on his tail and doesn't give him a break. I asked if he was on the run from anything and he jokingly said yes. This isn't really in Jean Valjean's character, but my dad makes jokes constantly. That's where I've gotten it from...

You guys know me, if there's a picture of snow, I have to include it.

He relates to having an experience change your life (candlesticks in Jean Valjean's case, but my dad didn't steal anything or do anything wrong). He will get down in the dirt and lift a wagon if someone is in trouble. He will go to the ends of the earth to make up for mistakes. He is kind and warm, but is not naive to the ways of the world, thus giving his charity even more of an impact.

Feat. my dad and my sister.

One of my sisters says dad used to call her "his Cosette", so the "tradition" (hint for next character) carries through. Yes, his children are a huge part of his worries, but he reacts differently. He still would do anything for them to keep them safe, but is more calm in the first place. Any time I watch a version of Les Mis and see Jean Valjean (I've tried several times to just say the first or last name, but it's impossible. You have to say them both together. I guess you could break it down to 24601...) and Cosette, I immediately can see my dad doing the exact same things.

Actual footage of my dad and I the other day. Except, you know, I'm no Elle Bamber. My hair is shorter. And my dad's is much longer.

Tevye (from Fiddler on the Roof)

Now THIS is what my dad looks like. Well, also with much longer hair and beard. But the same basic principle.

Traditions! My dad has ways he does things and they work well. In addition to being his sidekick, I'm also his apprentice and am trying to learn all his secrets. He never fails to amaze me with his ingenuity of working through a situation, using his past knowledge. His equipment, whether new or old, tends to give him trouble and he has to do it himself. He is trying to keep his balance, like a fiddler on the roof. He is respected by people inside and out of his communities.

He thinks long and hard about things and always have reasons for his actions. I also relate deeply to Tevye's "on the other hand...on the other hand...on the other hand!" How many hands does he have? I get this from my dad, because we are kindred spirits. We have very different ways of doing things, but the same values and goals. I love learning about the ways he does things, though! At first when he shows me something it can seem like there is no reason for doing it that way, but just give it a minute...

Tevye is considerate of all parties involved, as is my dad. He is the second character my dad always says he is like, and a big part of that is because of his daughters. Tevye can seem gruff on the outside, but he is basically a teddy bear. Despite grumbling, he has a heart of gold and cares about his daughters more than tradition. Like my dad, his family and faith is the most important part of his life. The relationship between his daughters is almost the exact same as my sisters and I with our dad, except for the same time not. I'm not sure how to explain it! I have no idea which sister I would be. My older and younger sister are SO Tzeitel and Chava, but I don't think I'm Hodel. Probably one of the two who don't have any lines...

You guys know me, so what do you think? Am I Hodel?

Edward Bloom (from Big Fish)

This is kind of what my dad looked like in his 20s...same hat.

My dad tells the best stories. There is some hyperbole in these tall tales, but it is not so much about the story as the delivery. There is always a message, which is not one you're always expecting. Even if I've heard it a million times before, I always want to hear him tell it again. Like Edward, he is a silver-tongued weaver of words if I've ever seen one. My dad is the same way in writing, and his annual Christmas letters are quite the thing to receive. His words are full of history and shimmering in magic, but it will swim away if you try to catch them. 

"I didn't forget, I was just working on a tangent."

Like Edward, my dad is brave. He will do hard tasks because someone needs to do them. He cares for people and is one of the kindest people I know. I have seen my dad help people in ways no one else would, and like Edward, someone being an "outsider" does not stop him.

I don't know why, but I can see my dad getting into this situation. The only difference is my dad would have a good way out of it.

Now, my relationship with my dad is nothing like Will's and Edward's, but I'm not my dad's only child. When he saw this for the first time this year, he told me he related a lot to Edward, but when I brought it up today, he said it had been too long since he'd seen that movie. Which makes sense, because unlike all the other characters on this list, he's only seen the film once. He struggles with people taking him seriously and not dismissing his concerns as another story. I am always willing to listen, and that's why I'm his sidekick!

"You spend years trying to corrupt and mislead this child and fill his head with nonsense but still he turns out fine."

My dad doesn't look like Albert Finney, but you get the picture.

Benjamin Martin (from The Patriot)

"Do you have children?"

I'm probably not the one to write about this movie because I just saw it for the first time a few weeks ago. Yet here I am, and I already have another post planned. Actually, two or three others. Anyone interested in those? Anyway, onto Benjamin Martin. He has seen a lot in his past, and has a lot to regret, but now he just wants to protect his family. Sure, this is a war movie, but at its core it's about a man trying to keep his family safe from the raging war around him. Which results in making me bawl. Watching this with my dad was quite the experience...but that's a story for another day.

Such adorable smiles!

Benjamin Martin has a clear head and strong morals. He sees different ways to go about things, but no one believes that will work. Every action he takes in this movie is for the sake of his children. And he has a lot of kids, seven in fact. He has quite the wide range, with a son old enough to be in the army and a daughter still in single digits, and many in between. Some of his kids see him as stern, but he wants the best for them. He wants them to work hard and make the most of their lives. He's troubled when they put themselves in danger, and will throw himself in the way. He says his sons are better men than he is, but he is quite the wonder in and of himself.

"I'm a parent. I haven't got the luxury of principles." (Yes, he does. Being a parent is principle enough!)

My dad doesn't have sons but I can still see parallels between Benjamin and his sons and my dad and his daughters. Then there's Susan. But don't get me talking about Susan or I'll lose it.

'"She said...uh...that she loves you and, uh, misses you, but she understands why you can't be with her."

"My lord, she said that? Well, isn't that something!"'

My dad has been many things in his life, but one of his specialties is carpentry. Which is why he finds the whole chair dilemma quite amusing. To my sister and I, it was quite funny, too, because my dad reacts to projects in the exact same way. Once he gets onto something, he's going to stick with it until he figures it out. I mean, usually my dad has mastery over his emotions, and can take quite a bit without retaliating. But just don't mess with his kids.

All in all, my dad is kind, considerate, loyal, and the perfect father. I love him like meat loves salt, and I'm so blessed that my life is following his. I wish you all could have him, but then he wouldn't be mine...

My dad also reminds me of Colonel Brandon (Sense and Sensibility) and Strider (Lord of the Rings), but I wanted to highlight the fathers for this day.

There you have it! What are some fictional characters that remind you guys of your parents? Do you know  any of these? What did you do for Father's Day? My sisters and I watched Enola Holmes with my dad (again. Really, I can't get enough of that movie), which doesn't have fathers at all, but we were doing it together, which is what counts. 

Do you guys have a favorite version of Les Mis? My sisters and I are planning on watching the Liam Neeson version soon (we're more excited about seeing Geoffrey Rush as Javert, but that's not the point of this post). Do you want to see full reviews for these movies?

Thanks for reading! Also, a happy late Juneteenth!

Chloe the MovieCritic

First Impression Ramblings on Cinderella and the Four Knights

Hello and happy June, friends!

How has your summer been? Mine has been dominated by work and a summer course, but I'm managing to squeeze in time for blogging today. I'm bringing you guys something I've been meaning to start for ages. Movies Meet Their Match was created to review books and movies (Really? Surprising that I haven't had a review since July of last year...11 months...). When I started watching shows I wanted to do the same thing, but they are time consuming. I wanted to talk about every episode, but that does not always happen. If it's a mini series or show with only 1 season (about 6-9 episodes) that's a walk in the park. When we branch into further seasons, things get trickier. I've done it in the past, like when I reviewed all 39 episodes of the Robin Hood BBC separately, but that was rare.

MC, couldn't you review the whole season in one post and not delve into episodes? I could, but my hyper-systematic self says that is not sufficient. Usually I end up just never talking about these things I enjoy, and that's the real point of this blog, sharing stories!

So, today I'm initiating something. When I finish a tv series, I'm going to write a bunch of rambling. If I made it through a show, then it has taken up a chunk of my life and I'm going to have Thoughts™. It will not be anything structured, professional, or philosophical. It will merely be a celebration of the vast story that is now part of me. No critiques, just me "fangirling". The format will vary from post to post, but right now I'm inspired by Miss Megan talking about The A-Team.

If it is a well-known show I will give a warning for spoilers at the beginning of the post and have them throughout. If it's a show that I have only heard a few people seeing--or none at all!--then I will keep it free of spoilers unless in specific parts, but those will always be in white text and need highlighting to read. This post is SPOILER-FREE.

This series it being kicked off with Cinderella and the Four Knights (2016). 

Before you go any further, listen to this song while reading this post.

It is one of my new favorite songs. It is an absolute BOP and anytime it started in the background you knew the scene was going to be amazing.

Where to start? I have an acknowledged problem: if any story says "Cinderella" in the title, I am going to consume it. Scratch that, it doesn't need Cinderella in the title, any form of a retelling gets me. That tells why I was interested in it. That, and the Netflix preview caught my interest by Ha-Won's immediate way of taking control. I've been wanting to watch K-dramas for forever and this seemed like the perfect place to start. 

But, some of you might not be as interested in something merely based off the title, so I'll give you the premise (don't worry, still spoiler-free!).

Plot:

Eun Ha-Won is working many jobs in order to pay for college. When the wealthy chairman of Hanuel Group, Mr. Kang, sees her capabilities, he offers to pay her to whip his three grown grandsons into shape. They all hate each other, but have no one else in the world besides their grandfather. All living at the same house supervised by Secretary Lee, Ha-Won tries to fulfill the missions issued to her by Mr. Kang. If she fails, she'll have to leave, but she also has no where else to go because her family hates her. It would all go alright if the boys didn't have plans of their own...

Characters:

Eun Ha-Won:

Gosh, there isn't a way to say how much I love this girl. She's so spunky, fun, and brave. She cares about everyone and is diligent in her work. She finds joy in everything. She has the greatest respect for family, and it is probably the most important part of her life. She wants to be a teacher, and she will be the best at that because she takes no nonsense. She is so relatable, especially with dealing with feelings! She is a cupcake in human form. I just love her way too much.

The Kang cousins:

Epitome of cool, amiright? #squadgoals
(Well, they all hate each other at the time of this gif, but...)

Kang Hyun-min:

I had the hardest time liking Hyun-min at the beginning. But his character arc really came around and explained everything, knocking my socks off. I am still confused as to which of Chairman Kang's sons were these guys dads, which I think could have cleared even more up. Anyway, back to Hyun-min. He's a playboy and seems to want nothing but to have fun. He flirts non-stop. But, he is competent when he puts his mind to it. Guys, he can solve a Rubik's cube SO quickly. (To all you Marvel fans, kind of sounds like Tony Stark, right? Well, if you combined Ji-Woon's skills with mechanics, then yes, the two of them would be Tony.) Oh, and he has the coolest car. It's an amazing blue. He's always trying to have a carefree exterior, but he actually deeply cares.

Kang Ji-Woon:

Guys, I love Ji-Woon so much. He is literally the kindest person deep inside, and if you ever need anything he'll be there. Taking care of people is what he does. But, he. hides. this. side. of. him. Whhhhhhhhhhhhy. He is so mean to everyone without reasons. "Get lost!" Sometimes by protecting one person, he really hurts someone else. Which is rude. Come on, baby, you can be nice to everyone, you don't have to pick favorites. He values being alone and is never bored. He wishes his life could go back to being normal. I know I just had a whole talk about not picking favorites, but...

His smiles are so rare that I keep every one of them close to my heart! My gorgeous boy!

Kang Seo-woo: 

Ah, the one Kang cousin who doesn't think he has to act all tough. Seo-woo is an UTTER SWEETHEART. Seriously, unlike the other two, there is nothing wrong with him, so why does Ha-Won have to whip him into shape? Because, according to his grandfather, he is "a good-for-nothing". No! Playing music is a wonderful career! He is so successful, but he learns it is not about the money or fame, but expressing himself. He is so naturally considerate, it is hilarious when he stops himself and asks, "Why do I care? Why am I going to the effort?" Because you're angelic, that's why. Your cousins are a bad influence to you. It is hilarious, I'm exactly like his manager, because I get so excited and say, "He's all grown up!" when he makes big decisions.

Precious.

Other characters:

Secretary Lee: 

My sister and I dubbed him the Korean Tim Curry. Like, have you guys seen Clue (1985)? His job as butler is the exact same. He's in charge and gets stuff done. I'm going to talk about this later, so I'm restraining myself, but his style?? Fabulous. If the person who ruled the world was the most well dressed, that person would be Secretary Lee. He has to put up with the shenanigans the boys get into and take care of everything else. He seems so calm on the surface, but the turmoil he is undergoing! Ack, poor Secretary Lee!

Park Hye-ji:

When we first met her, I thought she was sweet. Going on I thought she needed to get a life and stop obsessing over a certain Kang cousin. Then, BACKSTORY was revealed and I understood and loved her again. She had been through so much! Secretary Lee wins for top style of all the boys, but Hye-ji gets that award for girls. Which makes sense because she designs clothing. I have some head cannons about what happens after this show, which my sister wishes would have been more clearly stated. Its in the same vein, but different than some problems I had with Heidi: Bienvenida a Casa--wait, you guys haven't read my ramblings on that. Look for it in the future! Question, does the title "Four Knights" mean Secretary Lee or Hye-ji? My sisters and I have differing opinions on this.

I'm not going to talk about the characters I don't like, so let's move on to what happens when you put all of these characters together. But, shout out to Ms. Beolgyo!

Relationship dynamics:

I'm not going into too much detail because spoilers, but I will give you general thoughts on how these characters interact.

Eun Ha-Won and the Kang cousins:

You can't tell, but that's Ha-Won he's giving the fist bump too.

(I could not find a picture of them all together that did not contain scenes/items that had spoilers, so I am upset. Therefore you get three different pictures with each of them separately with Ha-Won)

There seem to be three methods the boys take up when dealing with Ha-Won: flirting, ignoring, or being a decent human being. There is no other option. She, on the other hand, takes care of them all. She uses so many methods of persuasion, I've lost count of her tactics. She wants what is best for them, and in addition to following out Chairman Kang's requests, she thinks the missions are good for the well-being of the boys. If nobody can find Ha-Won, the boys go from not caring to instantly being the most concerned friends of the century. 

The Kang cousins and each other:

I really want to talk about Seo-woo's impeccable style here...but I won't.

We don't get into a lot of what happened before Ha-won came besides they sometimes trashed Hanuel house. They are so similar, but they don't like each other. That is the whole reason Ha-won is here, to make Chairman Kang's grandson's get along. The main animosity is between Hyun-min and Ji-woon, because, let's face it, Hyun-min's mission in life sometimes is to rub people's feathers the wrong way. Ji-woon doesn't want any part of this rich life, but as soon as Hyun-min questions his place, Ji-woon is defensive as can be. Seo-woo often is just annoyed with both of them making a fuss. The dorks.

The face offs are intense, guys. I'm as nervous as Ha-won.

Music:

I already had you guys listen to Jessi's My Romeo, but that is not the only good song. All of the songs are either a bop or heart wrenching. There is no in between. And I don't even know what they are saying, but the "Hey, yeah!" does things to my heart. I am wounded by the music of this show and enlivened by it at the same time.

If my timing is correct, you guys just finished the song? I may read faster or slower than you, though, so no worries if the timing did not line up that way! If you have, then here, have another song to listen to.

Outfits:   

I need more people to be part of this fandom and put better photos on the internet because I could barely find any of my favorite outfits. Anyway, here's a photo dump of some amazing flair and panache. Get ready for lots of Secretary Lee's suits, because he never wore the same one twice! How!?

First, the how not to example:

Orange and purple nightmare.

Now for the good stuff. In no particular order. Except the last two. Because the last two are my absolute favorites and I want those outfits now for myself, please.

Purple suit? Fantastic.

I would've thought these colors were too close to each other, but he pulls it off.

Peach and stripes? Suave.

I don't know what the pattern on this shirt is, but I love it.

The bow is so elegant.

Ha-won is more of a casual outfit girl, which is totally me too, but every once in a while she has something awesome. Like this in this promo shot.

Pinstripes with diamonds?? Only Secretary Lee could pull this off.

Yes to all this.

The little hearts! You guys can't see it here, but the rest of the jumper is so cute.

Now are you ready for the pièce de résistance?

The. yellow. coat.

Ombre flannel??? The coolest thing I have ever seen in my life.

And yes, both are worn by Ji-woon. Just so you make note of that.

Final photo dump:

This does not need much explanation. I'm just trying to convince you guys to watch it.

You tell him, Ha-won!

That is the Chairman. I'm sorry I haven't had a picture of him until now.

Cheese, anyone?

Aww, Seo-woo cares about everyone!

Surprise!

She is so serious here, but is it an empty threat?

This situation was Comical with a capital C.

Ah! This gif wasn't working on my computer, but as soon as I uploaded it here, it worked again! Thank you Blogger. This scene was HYSTERICAL.

I didn't mention Hong Ja-yeong, but I love her. She is so bubbly.

This aesthetic is *chef's kiss*

This kinnnnnnd of has all three of them. But we don't get to see Seo-woo's adorable face.

I'm so proud of my girl!

The drama™.

Anyo! This is what I said when the show was ending.

Giving me major Totoro vibes *dies of laughter now thinking of Secretary Lee as Totoro* It works!

I now want to live in Korea. Because:

A. Everyone is so fashionable. 

B. All. the. food. I get hungry watching the show. I have the exact same expression as Ha-Won anytime she watches anyone cook. 

I learned so much about the culture here, like how important it is to eat with people. And thumb pricking?? I had never heard of this, and I wouldn't want anyone to do it to me no matter how bad I was feeling, but it seems to work well. And I just couldn't believe I hadn't heard of it.

And, everyone knows how to fight? Well, there are characters who either prefer to use their charm (Hyeon-min) or never get into those situations (Seo-woo), but I was so impressed. These characters are so capable! My one question is where is this set? Is it Seoul? Then why do they always go to the same convenience store??

You guys probably didn't know this (I know I mentioned it in a tag but that was years ago), but I once started learning Korean. This show has made me want to pick it up again. So many things like yes, no, and thank you were familiar! Yes, this is all in Korean, and I recommend 100% "subs not dubs". I watched this on Netflix, and I think the only option is subtitles. As it should be. I've read articles that compare it to Boys Over Flowers, another K-drama. I'm not familiar with that one, but now I'm interested. Have any of you seen that one?

For any one curious, this show, Cinderella and the Four Knights, is one of the cleanest I have come across. There is a lot of grief that is explored in powerful ways, and the tragedies why people are sad are talked about but never shown on-screen. There is kissing, but it is sweet and doesn't go farther than that. If you have an extra 16 hours and want to see part of another culture, this could be the show for you.

Guys, I downloaded 54 pictures/gifs to use. And obviously I couldn't use them all, which made me very sad. That doesn't include all the photos I picked after I counted those. Then about half of my gifs locked and wouldn't move, so what's the point? I only used 49, showing great restraint.

Anyway, I now love this show. Thank you for coming to my ramblings. What show do you want me to ramble about next?

What shows have you guys watched lately? Have any of you seen this? If you haven't, how convincing is this post? What are other k-dramas I should watch? Any other international shows? Do you like this format for posts? How is your summer?

Have a great day!

Chloe the MovieCritic